The prime event of the Pune monsoon campaign, the Pune Derby, will be run today over the trip of 2000 meters. After Nanoli stud farm backed out from the sponsorship this year, Kingfisher Ultra has lent their name to the coveted race. The grade 1 race will be featured as the stellar attraction of Sunday's nine-race card
Pune: The prime event of the Pune monsoon campaign, the Pune Derby, will be run today over the trip of 2000 meters. After Nanoli stud farm backed out from the sponsorship this year, Kingfisher Ultra has lent their name to the coveted race. The grade 1 race will be featured as the stellar attraction of Sunday's nine-race card.
Eleven runners are in the fray for the 2016 edition of the Pune Derby, and barring Accolade, regarded as the best Indian horse currently in training, the other ten are not exactly in the classic mould. But they have reason to hope for a chance to upset the applecart of Accolade because the Pune Derby history is loaded against the winners of the Poonawalla Breeders Multi-Million (Accolade won that race at Mahalaxmi in February this year) as they are considered too brilliant to stay over the ten-furlong trip.
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There is an additional worrisome point for the connections of Accolade. The champion horse refused to be stalled recently at Hyderabad when going to the post as an on-money favourite for the Derby at Malakpet. In spite of such negative issues, the bookmakers are unlikely to offer generous price on the Pesi Shroff-trained three-year-old colt owned by Vijay Mallya because, on paper, there is a steep gap between Accolade and his rivals as far as the class factor is concerned.
Chances are Accolade will go to post as a piping hot favourite, and will most likely justify that favouritism by winning the Kingfisher Ultra Pune Derby.
First race at 1 pm.
Selections:
Vinayak Trophy - Div II (Class IV; 1000m)
Carralisa 1, Dancing Prince 2, Naumee 3.
Sir Sultan Chinoy Trophy (Class II; 1000m)
Shivalik Shine 1, Golden Belle 2, Don Corleone 3.
Jimmy Umrigar Trophy - Div II (For 3y, maidens; 1200m)
Thunder Down Under 1, Furious N Fast 2, Firenze 3.
Pune Police Commissioner's Trophy (Class III; 1600m)
Courtship 1, Silver Beauty 2, Sawgrass 3.
IGCC Trophy (Class IV; 2400m)
Imitation Game 1, Mircacle Of Love 2, Aspen 3.
Noshir & Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Million (Gr 3) (For 4y&o; 1200m)
Adam 1, Dancing Prances 2, Critics Choice 3.
Kingfisher Ultra Pune Derby (Gr 1) (For 3y; 2000m)
Accolade 1, Namid 2, Germanicus 3.
Jimmy Umrigar Trophy - Div I (For 3y, maidens; 1200m)
Cyclone 1, Yanna Rascalla 2, Domination 3.
Vinayak Trophy - Div I (Class IV; 1000m)
Minstrel Heights 1, Quixotic 2, Dragon Of War 3.
Recommendations
Best bet: Accolade (7-1)
Good bet: Adam (6-1)
Chance bet: Shivalik Shine (2-5)
Upset: Merabella (4-8)
Today's pools:
Super jackpot poo: 4,5,6,7,8,9
Jackpot pool: I - 3,4,5,6,7; II - 5,6,7,8,9
Treble pool: I - 2,3,4; II - 6,7,8; III - 7,8,9
Tanala pool: All races
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